Literally Touching Greatness Can Increase Your Creativity

Do you wish you were more creative? Would it help if you played Mozart’s piano, sat down at Dickens' writing desk, or switched on Steve Jobs' laptop?

If you're the sort of logic-driven person who answered "Of course not," then, no, it wouldn't. But if your way of processing information is more intuitive, it just might.

That's the implication of newly published research, which finds handling an object previously used by a highly innovative person can boost the creative output of some individuals, apparently by elevating their confidence level.

The research is based on Daniel Kahneman's notion that human behavior is guided by two distinct modes of processing information. System 1 is automatic and instinct-driven; System 2 is more rational and analytical. While everyone uses both methods at different times, "some individuals have strong differences in their preferences for using one system over another," Kramer and Block write.